Serena Williams is the center of attention at Wimbledon once again as she prepares for her first singles match at the tournament in four years. The 44-year-old American legend, a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, will face world No. 53 Maya Joint in the first round on Tuesday.
Williams' Return Draws Reactions from Top Players
French Open champion Mirra Andreeva admitted she was nervous during the draw ceremony, hoping to avoid Williams. "I was watching like this because I don't think anyone in the draw would have wanted to play against Serena," the Russian teenager said Saturday. "I'm going to speak for myself. I wouldn't want to play against Serena. I would be just very nervous."
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka welcomed the attention Williams brings. "It's amazing what she's doing. Also it's Serena Williams, everyone was talking about that. She's bringing more eyes on tennis. It's a good thing for tennis. I'm really excited to see her play," Sabalenka said.
Williams' Comeback Journey
Williams had been away from competitive singles since her farewell at the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic. She described that departure as "evolving" away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023. She accepted a wild-card entry to play women's doubles with her sister Venus, who is 46, and then another to play singles.
Her most recent Wimbledon appearance was in 2022, when she lost in the first round to Harmony Tan, then ranked 115th. Williams officially returned to tennis earlier this month in a doubles match with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko at the Queen's Club grass-court tournament.
Venus Williams Provides Motivation
Venus Williams revealed she offered Serena motivational advice before her Queen's Club match. "Unexpectedly, before her first match she asked me did I have any motivational quotes I use for myself," Venus said Saturday. "I told her what I was using at the time. I don't know if that helped or not. She did win the match."
The Williams sisters will play their first-round doubles match against Colombia's Camila Osorio and Argentina's Solana Sierra. Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon. Their first two doubles titles at the All England Club, in 2000 and 2002, came as wild cards. "For us it was about the titles, we wanted the Grand Slam titles. We just wanted to bring them home," Venus said. "We did pretty good."
Novak Djokovic Praises Serena
Novak Djokovic called Serena Williams' tennis comeback "inspirational" and "epic." "That's what I told her," Djokovic said Saturday. "I see her in the gym more than I have, I think, seen her when she was at her prime. It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible." Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, added: "I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus', as well."
Younger Players Inspired
Coco Gauff, the No. 7 seed at Wimbledon, said Serena and Venus were the "biggest" inspiration on her. "I played the sport because of them, believed that I could do things because of them. I look up to them a lot," Gauff said.
Williams could meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round if both advance. Swiatek, the current women's champion, has not commented directly on a potential matchup but acknowledged Williams' enduring star power.
